Ponte del Diavolo – De Venom Natura (Review)

Ponte del Diavolo - De Venom NaturaThis is the second album from Italian blackened metal/post-punk band Ponte del Diavolo.

Following hot on the heels of 2024’s Fire Blades from the Tomb comes the 40-minute De Venom Natura. Ponte del Diavolo’s new record is a good one, with much to enjoy if you’re a fan of quality metal with an uncommonly tasty flavour. Continue reading “Ponte del Diavolo – De Venom Natura (Review)”

Udręka – Nieistnienie (Review)

Udręka - NieistnienieUdręka are a black metal band from Poland and this is their debut album.

Nieistnienie contains 39 minutes of ferocious modern black metal. Spliced with elements of hardcore and death metal to give it additional power and bulk, this is an imposing release that’s filled with grim sonic violence. Udręka have come out of nowhere and Continue reading “Udręka – Nieistnienie (Review)”

Agenbite Misery – Remorse of Conscience (Review)

Agenbite Misery - Remorse of ConscienceThis is the debut album from Agenbite Misery, a US black/death/sludge metal band.

Okay, it’s to the promo blurb for this one – “…the band began with a deceptively simple idea: to adapt James Joyce’s Ulysses into an experimental metal album. What emerged from that idea is a 55-minute odyssey of layered sonic aggression and literary depth, an album that blends blackened sludge, dissonant death metal, post-punk, ambient drone, and more into a singular, genre-defying statement of purpose.” So there you have it. Continue reading “Agenbite Misery – Remorse of Conscience (Review)”

Epimetheus – Perseus 9 (Review)

Epimetheus - Perseus 9This is the debut album from UK doom band Epimetheus.

Containing 48 minutes of prime underground doom, Perseus 9 heralds the arrival of Epimetheus as ones to definitely watch. More than that though, as not only am I very intrigued by where Epimetheus take their material in the future, where they’re at right now is very compelling in its own right. Continue reading “Epimetheus – Perseus 9 (Review)”

Mayhem – Liturgy of Death (Review)

Mayhem - Liturgy of DeathThis is the seventh album from legendary Norwegian black metallers Mayhem.

New Mayhem material is always A Big Event. Despite enjoying 2019’s Daemon, it wasn’t quite as special compared to the band’s other records. So what of the 49-minute Liturgy of Death? Does it suffer the same malady? Continue reading “Mayhem – Liturgy of Death (Review)”

Invictus – Nocturnal Visions (Review)

Invictus - Nocturnal VisionsThis is the second album from Japanese death metallers Invictus.

Delivering 35 minutes of old-school death metal devastation, Nocturnal Visions arrives with the impact of a meteor. Invictus are not messing around. Apart from the seemingly mandatory pointless intro, there’s Continue reading “Invictus – Nocturnal Visions (Review)”

Mors Verum – Canvas (Review)

Mors Verum - CanvasThis is the second album from international death metallers Mors Verum.

Brought to us by current and ex-members of Æpoch, (amongst other bands), Canvas contains 31 minutes of material. Mors Verum play their death metal in a non-standard way that really pays off, offering up something different to the norm that’s very good indeed. Continue reading “Mors Verum – Canvas (Review)”

Tailgunner – Midnight Blitz (Review)

Tailgunner - Midnight BlitzTailgunner are a heavy metal band from the UK and this is their second album.

Following on from 2023’s Guns for Hire, we now get treated to a new platter of classic heavy metal shenanigans by Tailgunner. With a refreshed lineup, the band burn through Midnight Blitz like it’s the last thing they’ll ever do. Hopefully it won’t be, as Continue reading “Tailgunner – Midnight Blitz (Review)”

Eximperitus – Meritoriousness of Equanimity (Review)

Eximperitus - Meritoriousness of EquanimityEximperitus, (full name – Eximperituserqethhzebibšiptugakkathšulweliarzaxułum), are a death metal band from Belarus, and this is their third album.

Meritoriousness of Equanimity is the 34-minute successor to 2021’s Šahrartu. Eximperitus have crafted a death metal album that serves up a more complex and evocative flavour of death metal than is normal for the genre. Continue reading “Eximperitus – Meritoriousness of Equanimity (Review)”